Happy Halloween

The Haunted Yarn Shop

The plan for the Lacy Baktus was that I had two skeins of orange Koigu. One skein for the half that increases; the second skein for the decrease half.

Easy peasy. No math involved.

However, I finished the one skein and looked at the half. Hmmm. . . a bit skimpy. I imagined how it would fit around my neck. Hmmm. . . doable but snug.

I looked at Blue Peninsula's photo of her Lacy Baktus. Nice and full. Able to tie in front. That's what I wanted!

One problem, though, I didn't have an extra skein of orange koigu. Since I bought the yarn during the summer at Knitty City, I figured the chances were slim that there would be more in that color.

But I found myself facing the wall of Koigu at Knitty City today.

This photo is from last week. You'll be hearing about that person in the picture in another post--just ignore her for now and look over her shoulder at all that Koigu. (Click on the photo to make bigger.)



Do you see any solid orange there? Nope, me either. But I plunged my hand in. Right into the middle of all that variegated yarn on the top shelf and grabbed hold of an unseen skein of yarn.

I pulled it out and it was my orange! People in the shop turned and stared at me when I gasped in surprise!

What were the chances of--sight unseen--pulling out the yarn I was looking for?

Before the goblins and spirits that are out and about this time of year could grab the skein back to the other side, I ran home with the yarn -- weighed and divided it and made it ready to knit with.

Why I'm Not Knitting

Kippy says, "This is a nice nest to cozy into. . .



and don't even think about telling me to move."

Not Pouting

I'm not going to Rhinebeck this year. At first, I was pouting about it. I'd miss the llamas, the sheepdogs, the sheep. I wouldn't get to see any beautiful hand knits. No fried artichokes would be on my plate this year. No meeting up with virtual and real life friends. No yarn.

Sigh.

I was having a No-Rhinebeck Pity Party.

Until this came in the mail today.



Let's take a closer look at the tag.



Yes, you're reading that right--mink AND cashmere!

SWOON!

Queen Bee Clara Parkes of Knitters Review had written about this yarn. And Anne Hanson not only wrote about the yarn, but showed photos of it knitted up.

Between the No-Rhinebeck Pity Party and the joy that my husband is doing well (It's exactly a month since surgery and he's doing remarkably well!), I decided I needed a treat. A special treat. A very, very special treat. A girl can only take so much till she's forced into using her credit card.

The Pity Party has now been cancelled!

This incredibly luscious yarn is from Great Northern Yarns. On their website, you can read about how no minks were harmed in obtaining the fur. It's DK weight and there's 230 yards in a skein. The yarn is very reasonably priced. And the owner, Craig Turner, must live in the Post Office he got the order out so quickly!

What will the yarn be? I don't know yet. I'm still too busy swooning!

Twins?

The Lacy Baktus Scarf is supposed to remind me of pumpkins or fall flowers.




But all it reminds me of is



these!